Stitch and bitch thread #5 This whole thing is fabricated.

[NutellaEllaElla]

Welcome back seamsters! It is soon to be September and Autumn is on its way.

A beck I'd see as being in a bit of a gully so yeah, probably a bit overgrown. Are you from north Eastern (england) @pastabest ?

Very impressed with the t shirts @kittykarate .

Been working on dungarees for great nephew. Most of the sewing done. Now putting on snaps for the inside legs. Then buttonholes and sewing on buttons.

I too have been having my equipment travails. My plastic snap gadget is not as easy to use as the reviews suggest. I have also cut a finger so have retreated from my sewing room until healed (perils of warfarin, I bleed for ages).

I can’t get on with snaps. But recently learnt about snap tape (maybe on here) and think it might be the answer.

Those t-shirts look really good @kittykarate, but I can imagine that pattern matching was no fun with that fabric!

I’ve been battling all weekend with my trouser pattern and the not particularly clear instructions. I managed to make it to the end, but I’m not convinced by the way they fit me. Now I’m torn between sewing up another toile, or just moving on to the next shiny new project...as I mentioned I really want to make a sweatshirt after seeing some of them on this thread. Has anyone here made Grainline’s Linden? I have my eye on that one, as I want something that allows for a lot of arm movement. I spend a lot of my time on a rowing machine in a freezing garage, so the idea of making something that makes that a bit more enjoyable is appealing 😁

I hear good things about the Grainline Linden, it's my friend's default sweatshirt pattern. I've made the Sinclair Nova in both hoodie and cowl forms and that's really roomy (I did size up a bit as my usual size was rather neat, although wearable). I reckon raglan sleeves like the Linden will give you a bit more room for manoeuvre.

Those look great kitty. What pattern did you use?

I'm finding that the pattern matching level is chipping away my mojo quite substantially. I have remembered a long sleeved t shirt project I wanted to make so might pivot to that while pattern matching project is ongoing.

I don't have a pattern though. If anyone wants to do a cheeky pdf pattern swap with me let me know.

@NutellaEllaElla if you mean someone emails you a pdf they’ve bought and you email them one you’ve bought then that’s against the terms of purchase of most pattern companies.

For long sleeved tees there are a couple of pattern companies doing free ones:
Grainline Hemlock tee (free with code if you subscribe to their emails)
Deer and Doe Plantain
Closet Core Core Tee

makingandbooks.blog/2022/06/02/free-sewing-patterns-list-2022/ This blog is an amazing resource for free patterns, and there’s also a list of free kids patterns elsewhere on the same blog.

Thanks @dubyalass . That’s persuaded me and the Linden pattern has now been ordered! The Nova looks good too, but I can’t face having to print off a pattern and sticking it all together...I’m far too lazy! 😄

NutellaElla My tshirts are from www.cashmerette.com/products/ahead-of-the-curve-learn-to-fit-and-sew-amazing-clothes-for-your-curves - it's the Stanway T shirt. I bought the book in the end as it's really nice to have the multiple cup sizes. Sadly it is aimed at plus sizes (UK 14+) so no use to you! The raglan t shirt in the TatB Stretch book is very similar though, but it has a curved hem.

@CrimsonAlligator looking forward to seeing how you get on! I can't be arsed with sticking paper together either (plus I don't have a printer and our work printer flatly refuses to print at actual size) so I get all my PDFs printed at A0 size at Netprinter.

I've almost finished my Talvikki sweater so will post a photo dreckly.

That's fab, thanks @SBAM

@NutellaEllaElla you're welcome.

if you’re not a fan of printing PDFs I’ve used CLC printing for A0 prints before and been happy with the printing and the speed of service.

I use CLC Essex fo A0 printing as well. They have recently put their prices upto £1.80 a sheet buts this still cheaper than most places.

I started great guns on my week of R&R and sewing. Despite an additional person who talks non-stop...

Ironed a load of fabrics for 3 different projects ready to cut, measured, cut just the first (a set of face wipes from an old towel and some cotton - reusable cotton wool pad type things). I got the test version and first 6 of 11 sewn successfully. And the machine stopped working! (I can see where the top thread is catching in the bobbin case, just no idea why - so I'll bring it to a local shop and hope they can mend it while I work tomorrow).

And apart from the distractor here for 3 full days of my stay, I was reduced to 6 days as I need to leave at 8am on Saturday for a Cubs overnight hostel trip that got moved. (And 2 of those days are work). So I may not make as much inroads to the stash as I'd hoped.

@BiddyPop that's a bit disappointing! I have a week booked off at the end of this month. I am hoping for torrential rain and howling winds so that I can lock myself in my sewing room.

Knowing my luck it will be unseasonably warm and I will have to go and work on the allotment.

Snaps are now on the dungarees. They will need some loosening up a bit as currently some of them have to be prised apart with a screwdriver. Not the sort of thing new parents want to have lying around during nappy changes!

Next step buttonholes. I am doing lots of practice though the buttonhole stitch on my machine is not keen to be automatic.

Can someone send me directions to that beck please? I think the sewing machine needs a bath.

[whispers]

I have booked a day off work on Thursday, I've told no one and I fully intend to spend it sewing.

@BiddyPop if your machine is having a hissy fit have you re-threaded it and checked the bobbin is the right way round? I had trouble with the thread catching on the bobbin case and I'd missed out a step when threading it which buggered up the tension.

Managed to get into the sewing shop in the local town where I am staying earlier - she runs classes as well so knows her way around the machine and trouble-shooted it before sending me the direction of the techie in the "big town" half an hour away, managed to get it working well again and I'll get it properly serviced when I get home. (Part of the problem was definitely too loose bobbin tension). So I will have some intensive work tonight once my workday is done to reward myself!! 😁

(And Brucie bonus is that I now know how to change bobbin tension if I need to in future)

That’s excellent news about your machine @BiddyPop ! 🥳

I found some fabric online that I thought would be perfect for a dress I “toiled” a few weekends ago. The fabric finally arrived today, but the colour in real life is just so incredibly drab that I can’t imagine actually wanting to wear a dress made from that stuff.

I think it would make a classy pair of trousers though, so I may end up revisiting last weekend’s trouser toile sooner than expected. I think I have a fix for the fitting issue, but will need to disassemble most of my toile to implement it. l really should have checked the fit while I was sewing, especially as that was one of the few things the pattern was clear on...lesson learnt for next time! 🙃

Yay @BiddyPop hope you’re settling in for an evening with the machine.

That’s so disappointing @CrimsonAlligator glad you think you’d be able to find a use for it at least.

@pastabest enjoy your sewing day!

I persuaded my two year old to help me sew today and got a T-shirt for him finished. A few scary moments though, he’s a lot more inquisitive about the workings of machinery than his big sister ever was.

The exact same thing happened to me today! I ordered some 'petrol' coloured ramie from somewhere I've not ordered to before. What has turned up is nothing like the rich colour shown on the website and looks like it's been through the wash a few thousand times already. So disappointed.

I’ve been sewing sleeve plackets. Oy vey, not a fun task despite the video I watched making it look quite simple. Something I need to practise, along with zips and setting in sleeves. I’ve given up for the night otherwise I’d have got frustrated and probably shoved the whole thing in the bin. A woman on YouTube said this pattern took her 15 hours and I thought that was insane but actually I think it will take me at least that.

Struggling with the curse of the buttonhole at the moment.

I have only two to do but they are quite prominent so I want to get them right.

Can I get a decent buttonhole? Can I heck as like.

I can have a nice looking button hole starting a random 3/4/5 mm on from where I want it with a neat little row of stitches leading up to the real buttonhole.

Alternatively I can have a scruffy looking hole which looks like it was sewn by the dog but in the right place.

Not sure what is going wrong. I have watched a number of tutorials and I'm still none the wiser.

How annoying! No suggestions unfortunately.